How we rank pedals
Every buying guide is built the same way, so you can check how a pick got there.
We do not test pedals
PedalBro does not play or test the pedals it ranks, and no guide claims otherwise. Picks come from what others have published: professional reviews, star ratings from retailers and, where there is enough of it, what players say in online forums. Our summaries are written from those sources in our own words.
Which pedals qualify
Each guide states its rules (a price limit, a feature such as a stereo output, an analog signal path). A pedal has to meet them, be sold new by a retailer right now, and have at least one published review or rating. A guide is only written when enough pedals qualify; a topic with too few is not published.
How the ranking works
Each pedal's PedalBro score counts for 60% of its ranking, how many separate sources stand behind that score for 15%, and how its price compares with the other qualifying pedals for 25%. A pedal with little evidence is pulled toward the average, so one glowing review cannot carry it, and a lower price helps only when the reviews back it up. The top composite is best overall. Where a guide has budget and splurge awards, they go to the best composite in the cheapest and the most expensive third of the shortlist.
Who decides the picks
The picks, their order and their awards come from the numbers, not from anyone's taste: the best overall is the top composite, the budget pick is the best-ranked pedal that costs at least 10% less, and the step-up or splurge is the best-ranked pedal that costs at least 10% more. A person reads and approves each guide before it is published, and a guide whose picks change is reviewed again before the new picks go live.
How PedalBro makes money
Some buy links are affiliate links: if you buy through one, PedalBro may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We do not accept payment to rank, score or feature a pedal, and a retailer's commission is not part of the ranking.